HOW DO WE DEEPEN OUR COMMITMENT TO GOD?

Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Day.We’re approaching a time of year when we count our blessings, celebrate a great holy-day (holiday) of our Christian faith, and resolve to do better in the New Year. In the church year, the New Year begins on the first Sunday of Advent, which is November 27, 2016 this year, and several short weeks later January 1 as well. In many churches at this time of year, annual pledge drives are held asking members to recommit and increase their giving to the church. The Vestry and Fr. Duane felt called to expand Annunciation’s first pledge drive in over five years to something more. We are not a church about money but rather we are deeply concerned and committed to seeing one another grow in our faith. So as we approach this time of year when we recommit ourselves to our families, our faith, our future, we invite you to ask yourself:How will I recommit myself to God in 2017? What is my pledge to God? Here at Annunciation, we commit to God in several ways.

We commit to corporate worship, the central most important activity of our faith.

We commit to learning about our faith, by studying the Word of God in private and with others.

We commit to prayer for our church, our family, our neighbors, and even our enemies.

We commit to one another and our church community, whether by cooking meals, lending a hand on parish work days, serving on a church committee, or helping with a church event.

We commit to supporting the church financially with our tithes and to supporting other charities in their work towards the common good.

How will you recommit to God in 2017? We would like to suggest one step at a time, baby steps so to speak. By committing a little more – whether it’s another worship or Bible study, an extra prayer, a little more time and effort, or a little more money. Over the remaining Sundays of November, we will all be asked to consider how we hope to pledge ourselves to God. The first part is a self-evaluation. What are you currently committing of yourself to God? The second part are your goals. We strongly suggest you pick no more than two areas for improvement. Our faith journey is the journey of our lives. God isn’t looking for spiritual perfection. God simply asks for our best effort to live our lives according to Jesus Christ.